Martinmas Celebration

This week on November 11 we will celebrate Martinmas. This Festival honors the generosity of St. Martin of Tours (a patron Saint of France) and is also a harvest festival, when we ready ourselves, heads, hearts and hands, for the coming of winter.

Learn more here if you like: The Parenting Passageway

Greenwood Tree will celebrate the generosity of St Martin by conducting a food drive now until November 11. Please bring non-perishable food items to Greenwood Tree and the Saplings class will deliver them to our local Food Bank on Friday.

Also on Friday, November 11, we will gather as a community to share in a Lantern Walk, shining our own sparks of light into the dark world. All members of the community are welcome to join in this event – the more lights, the merrier!

Details for the Lantern Walk:

Location:

Hillcrest Park in Mt Vernon (1717 S 13^th St).

Please park and meet near the gazebo on the left near the main entrance of the park.

Rhythm:

4:30 pm: Everyone gathers
4:45 pm: Circle time/Importance of Martinmas
5:00 pm:-Lantern Walk with songs
*Popcorn and Tea to follow

Please Bring:

Lanterns: Enrolled children will make a lantern in class. Parents should bring these to the walk. Greenwood Tree will supply tea lights. If you are attending but your child is not enrolled, please bring your own lanterns.

Warm Clothes: It is said St Martin shared his cloak with a cold beggar, but just in case, please dress for the season.

Song Sheet: Enrolled children have been learning songs in class. The key songs to learn are “The Lantern Song” and “Jack-o-Lantern.” Songs have been emailed to enrolled families - please bring your song sheet on Friday.

The following site has some of these recorded so you could hear them before Friday. Songs

As with any festival one of the key aspects is the mood we create. Please help create this mood for this festival, a quieter one, by focusing on holding space for our children. This will help them (and us!) fully embrace the experience of the Lantern Walk – walking through the darkness, carefully holding our flames, and singing rhythmically together.

Please RSVP:

We will have popcorn and hot tea to share. Please RSVP to let us know if you will attend so we can properly prepare the snacks.

Also, if you have extra thermoses you could share for this event, please bring to Greenwood this week with your name on it. Please let Shelley or Britt know and leave them in the kitchen.

We look forward to celebrating with you and your families!

With Light and Love,

Your Greenwood Tree Board Members, Resource Council and Teacher

Laurel, MaryAnn, Britt, Shelley, Nancylee, Shanna, Lara, Jamie & Cassandra